¡peligro! x 004 x audio

[gloryisbullshit]

Okay! [He croaks and coughs and comes back louder, cuz he's so mad.] Where the fuck is Blue? Isn't someone neighborhood-watching, I know one'a you saps keeps a watchful eye, so where is he?

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[tooghoulforschool]

[So he does remember. Ghoul releases his face but doesn't bother removing the fingers from his wrist. If he lets go, he lets go. If he doesn't, Ghoul had it coming.] Better?

[gloryisbullshit]

[He nods quickly, and his hand relaxes (but doesn't let go). He half-sighs and half-growls and rocks forward to bump his forehead against Fun Ghoul's before his hand drops away and he goes back to look with his brain put together.] Just pisses me off, man, what if they were here? What if they were in here?

[tooghoulforschool]

[That's not something he wants to think about. Those bastards being in here, being anywhere near Party or the Kid-- He can't think about it because one of them needs a level head. He's gotta keep that frustration in check before it slips into rage.] What if? Nothing we can do about it. Nothing at all. Not yet. They take who they wanna take and they do what they wanna do and they play god while we just live.

[They aren't running. They aren't fighting. They're just existing.]

[gloryisbullshit]

Stupid. [He complains.] I'm fine being a fucking rat, but I'm not someone's--lab animal. [A hand scrubs at his neck and under his chin, still jumpy, still skittery from that--] Don't do that again.

[tooghoulforschool]

Then we fuckin' stop it. We find a way after we find your boy. [Ghoul winces. He slipped, wasn't thinking, and it hurts. Getting a look typically reserved for--] Wasn't gonna. Let's go.

[gloryisbullshit]

[Good enough. If Ghoul does try it again any time in the near future, he can count on getting a black eye for his efforts. For now, though, Party just gears up to go hunting.

[They are, as should be obvious, unsuccessful.

[They've been together long enough that Party's mood upon failure should be no surprise. He doesn't want to play or joke or be yelled at, just fucking leave him alone. It's strange to have his own space, but while he does have it, he uses it, holing up in his (their) room for a good few hours upon return. He doesn't emerge again until the house goes quiet and he's reasonably sure Ghoul's in bed. Then he needs to be talked too.

[So he stands outside Ghoul's room in the dark and knocks. Quietly]

[tooghoulforschool]

[In bed, but not asleep. Can't sleep. Too much to think about.

He knows who it is. Who the fuck else could it be? But shit is fragile right now. Party's hurting and Ghoul just added to it. Letting him in is either gonna make this shit worse, escalate, turn into a fight, or...]

... S'open. Get in.

[gloryisbullshit]

[He backs up a step first, but no doubt, is he coming in. All the swagger of a five-year-old with a nightmare, he slinks onto the bed and burrows into Ghoul's side. Croaked as an explanation:] Bed's cold.

[tooghoulforschool]

[Heh. Sure it is. He wraps an arm around suspiciously not-cold body next to him for warmth. Not because Party needs the comfort or anything, that's stupid.] Drafty as fuck in this house. Miss the car.

[Miss the desert. Miss the girl. Miss Jet. Got Party, Got Kobra. It's good enough. Don't you fucking throw this away, you idiot.] ... I'm sorry, P-- Fuck, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry.

[gloryisbullshit]

[Ghoul's arm goes around him, and his arm goes immediately around Ghoul's waist, wiring there tight as if something was going to pull him away.] You didn't know.

[tooghoulforschool]

I did know. I was right there. I fucking saw it!

[gloryisbullshit]

[Ah, his gut! Party pushes up on his arms, leaning over Ghoul to just drop the first thing that gets into his mouth. Accusing:] If you'da known, you wouldn'ta done it, huh?

[tooghoulforschool]

[Ghoul's hands come up on either side of his own head, flat against the pillow and palms up. Not this fight. Not this one. He doesn't want it. Not this one.] Wouldn'ta, couldn'ta, shouldn'ta. It's over. [All of it. The showdown back home, the one a few hours ago, and the one going on right now.]

It's finished.

[gloryisbullshit]

[His palms press against Ghoul's then, fingers lace together, but it's not sweet at all. Party bows his head to tell Ghoul sharply, voice thick and shaking:] I'm not dead. And neither are you.

[tooghoulforschool]

[He laughs humourlessly, the anger finally starting to seep in. He can be mad about this.] Yeah? You know that? You know it in your heart, Party Poison? Then what the fuck are we? Awfully coincidental endin' up here right after that.

[Unless this is what happens. This is where they send you. Another place to get reprogrammed. Somewhere for the ones too broken to just wipe clean. He steels his jaw, but doesn't look away.] ... the fuck are we? [Where, what, who. When. Why.]

[gloryisbullshit]

I know it! [He grinds out, but he so, so does not. His arms are shaking. Everything's shaking.] You don't believe me!

[tooghoulforschool]

I don't know what to believe! I don't fucking know.

[Which isn't reassuring. Not one bit. The shaking doesn't go unnoticed. Ghoul takes a breath before pushing against one of Party's hands and digging a knee into his ribs as gently as he can while still getting the little shit to roll the fuck over. He settles his weight down on top of Party and acts like a human thunderjacket. Calm by pressure. No top dog, just pipe the fuck down.

He lets go of Party's hands and folds his arms to prop up his chin. Hi there, nice to see you. Stop freakin' the shit out or you're getting smothered a la cuckoo's nest.]

Stop thinkin' about it for five seconds. It's too much right now.

[gloryisbullshit]

[In the first instant, he is just so angry. How dare you? How dare you! But his gut way down knows that Ghoul doesn't wanna fight, there's no hurt here, even if it might feel better if it hurt. The weight eases over him and it's way too safe and way too familiar, and Party's freed hands clap over his eyes to hide his face when he can't stop a sob from twisting up out of his belly. Can't stop thinking. Can't stop, and it is too much.]

[tooghoulforschool]

[What? No. Fuck. Noooo. Shhhhshshhshsh. Goddammit. The arm-pile is dismantled and he presses his cheek against Party's chest as he wraps the formerly-stacked limbs around the formerly-sobbing torso. But not before a quick jab to the ribs.] Didya feel that? Would you feel that shit if you were a corpse? Are you breathing? We're breathing. I got you. Heart's beating, I can hear that motherfucker from here. We're okay.

[A beat] Yeah, we're alive. Years of being wrong, you were bound to be right one of these days. Congrats, bitchtits. You finally fucking did it. Now shut your damn trap and go the fuck to sleep.

[gloryisbullshit]

[Nope, he’s wrong, he’s wrong and stupid and apparently fucking evil in his soul, thanks Sherlock, and he can’t shake the feeling that something’s gonna come out of the dark to grab him. So Party gulps down a few deep, unsteady breaths before finally regulating, and his arms curl one around the back of Ghoul’s neck and one down between his shoulders. His fingers twist into the other joy’s shirt.] Don’t--d-don’t go anywhere? Don’t go, don’t go.

[tooghoulforschool]

[He's pretty stupid sometimes, no arguments there. But evil? Not a fucking chance. Ghoul cracks an eye open, just watching carefully] ... Where am I gonna go? They ain't taking me, P. They couldn't fucking handle me. And they sure as hell don't want you, bumblefuck. We're solid. Nothin' you gotta worry your ugly little face about.

[gloryisbullshit]

[There's a long quiet above Ghoul's head, quiet till he believes all that. But he's listening, even processing. Bitterly:] I'll worry your mom's face.

[tooghoulforschool]

My mom's-- [And that would be some unexpected laughter. No really, it's unexpected because that was just... he's not even trying!] The hell was THAT? That's the best you got right now? Pathetic and you damn well know it. Do better. [But he's not letting go to smack you so just imagine the smack. Verbal smack. Mental smack.]

[gloryisbullshit]

No, I'm sad, that's what you get! I'm not here to amuse you!

[tooghoulforschool]

Yeah, y'are. Amusing as fuck right now. What's sad gonna do? Nothing. But if you ain't gonna smile, just sleep. We'll fix this. Been lookin' for shit to fix.